What fish is known as hamachi in Japanese sushi menus?

Hamachi is Japanese amberjack, the fish species Seriola quinqueradiata commonly served on sushi menus.

It is also widely called Japanese yellowtail. In Japan, the names can reflect the fish’s growth stage: younger fish are commonly called hamachi, while larger mature fish are often called buri. Usage varies by region and by whether the fish is wild or farmed, so menus may use “hamachi,” “yellowtail,” or “amberjack” for closely related culinary descriptions.

Japanese amberjack belongs to the jack family Carangidae, not the tuna family Scombridae. That is why menu phrases such as “yellowtail tuna” are misleading: amberjack and tuna are different kinds of fish.

Hamachi is especially popular raw because its flesh is rich and fatty, with the highest fat levels often associated with colder months. Farmed hamachi is also common. A related species, greater amberjack, is called kanpachi and should not automatically be treated as the same fish.